Daily Wordlist 24-Nov-09

	24-Nov-09 Daily Wordlist unfrock [ uhn-FROK ]   [ transitive verb ]   MEANING :   1. (tr. v.) to take away the ecclesiastical rights or authority 2. (tr. v.) to divest   USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :   They said that nobody could unfrock the parish priest because his character was without reproach.   USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :   Special heresy courts could suspend or even unfrock an errant clergy. BBC, Church debates relaxing wedding rules, 9 July 2004.   amphitheater [ AM-fuh'-thee-uh'-ter ]   [ noun ]   MEANING :   1. (n.) an oval shaped building having tiers of seats around a central open area or stage 2. (n.) an arena in ancient Rome used for gladiator fights 2. (n.) a stadium   USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :   An ultra modern amphitheatre was being built for the Olympic Games.   USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :   Rome is calling for international sponsors to help fund the restoration of the 2,000-year-old amphitheatre's crumbling facade The Telegraph, Rome's Colosseum needs urgent restoration work, Nick Squires, 15 Sepember 2009.   divest [ di-VEST ]   [ transitive verb ]   MEANING :   1. (tr. v.) to sell off or dispose of 2. (tr. v.) to strip or deprive   USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :   Some of the directors secretly divested their holding in the company when they learnt that the workers planed to go on strike.   USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :   Lloyds will divest 600 branches--4.6 percent of its total--all over the next 4 years in the latest bail-out saga. The Telegraph, The staggering price of bailing out the banks, 3 November 2009.   gourmet [ goo'r-MEY ]   [ noun, adjective ]   MEANING :   1. (n.) a connoisseur of fine food and drink 2. (adj.) elaborately equipped for the preparation of exotic meals 3. (adj.) pertaining to skilful preparation of fancy foods   USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :   A gourmet was engaged to approve of the food for the banquet.   USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :   The Naschmarkt Old World market has two parallel lanes -- one lined with fun eateries, the other featuring high-end produce and gourmet goodies. CNN, Wining and dining in Vienna, Rick Steves, 9 June 2009.   insolvent [ in-SOL-vuh'nt ]   [ noun, adjective ]   MEANING :   1. (adj.) pertaining to bankruptcy 2. (adj.) unable to pay debts 3. (n.) a person who is bankrupt   USAGE EXAMPLE 1 :   The company was declared insolvent as it could not repay its creditors.   USAGE EXAMPLE 2 :   He said he showed him bank statements suggesting he had "considerable amounts of money" but he failed to pay rent and, in 2006, was declared insolvent. The Telegraph, Oxford 'guru' accused of torturing French aristocrats, Aislinn Laing, Murray Wardrop and Henry Samuel, 11 November 2009.   Spelled Pronunciation Key Stress marks: [ CAPS ] indicates the primary stressed syllable, as in newspaper [NOOZ-pey-per ] and information [ in-fer-MEY-shuh' n ] CONSONANTS [b] boy, baby, rob [d] do, ladder, bed [f] food, offer, safe [g] get, bigger, dog [h] happy, ahead [j] jump, budget, age [k] can, speaker, stick [l] let, follow, still [m] make, summer, time [n] no, dinner, thin [ng] singer, think, long [p] put, apple, cup [r] run, marry, far, store [s] sit, city, passing, face [sh] she, station, push [t] top, better, cat [ch] church, watching, nature, witch [th] thirsty, nothing, math [th'] this, mother, breathe [v] very, seven, love [w] wear, away [hw] where, somewhat [y] yes, onion [z] zoo, easy, buzz [zh] measure, television, beige   VOWELS [a] apple, can, hat [ey] aid, hate, day [ah] arm, father, aha [air] air, careful, wear [aw] all, or, talk, lost, saw [e] ever, head, get [ee] eat, see, need [eer] ear, hero, beer [er] teacher, afterward, murderer [i] it, big, finishes [ahy] I, ice, hide, deny [o] odd, hot, woffle [oh] owe, road, below [oo] ooze, food, soup, sue [oo'] good, book, put [oi] oil, choice, toy [ou] out, loud, how [uh] up, mother, mud [uh'] about, animal, problem, circus [ur] early, bird, stirring   FOREIGN SOUNDS [a*] Fr. ami [kh*] Scot. loch, Ger. ach or ich [œ] Fr. feu, Ger. schön [r*] Fr. au revoir, Yiddish rebbe [uh*] Fr. oeuvre [y*] Fr. tu, Ger. über   SAMPLE NASALIZED VOWELS [an*] Fr. bien [ahn*] Fr. croissant [awn*] Fr. bon [œn*] Fr. parfum [in*] Port. Principe